On June 2nd, 2013, we had a surprising visitor to our yard! While I gardened unknowingly in the front yard, my daughters noticed (well actually they noticed the dog’s barking first!) something strange in our backyard. It was actually an hour or so later before we remembered the surveillance cameras! Video starts off a little slow (look for bear behind the playset) but around the 2 minute mark…things get more exciting!

Well FINALLY spring is arriving here the middle of May. One more bird post before I can move on to actually blogging about gardening! A gorgeous trio of Evening Grosbeaks visited my deck yesterday. I don’t remember ever seeing this kind of bird before so had to dig out my Wisconsin bird book to identify it. Always exciting to see new visitors – especially ones so bright and pretty!

I was surprised to learn that these are actually finches. Compared to purple finches that are constant visitors to my deck, they are quite a bit larger.

Check out this page provided by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for more information.

It looks like spring might actually be arriving. At least for a few days! Always checking the 10 day forecast for some hope and 7 of the next 10 days are going to hit a high of 40 or above. The snow is literally pouring off my roof. Which reminds me yet again, I really need gutters!

And it even smells like ‘spring’ outside. The good kind of spring smell. Not the swampy spring smell that my yard will have in a few weeks when portions of my back yard turn from frozen tundra to a mud pit. That’s the downside of living a block and a half from the wondrous Lake Superior. The melting snow is on its way there and my yard and house are in the way!

One of my favorite seedlings.The polka dot plant (Hypoestes) with the pink, red or white polka dots showing up on the tiny little leaves. I remember my mom buying these as indoor plants when I was a kid. Think those were always pink. Grew some from seed last year and there were great. A nice filler in containers and it makes a great house plant too.

Joining the Grow Write Guild at You Grow Girl. A great way to inspire new stories about gardening. About why we garden.

Here is the first prompt: Write about your first plant.

The first garden I remember having was in 1998. It was my first time living in my own house (well duplex really) after several apartments during and after college. I dug up the patch of grass between the house and sidewalk and planted marigolds. I remember it was a LOT of work digging out all that grass. Probably spent a whole day or two on it. Obviously, my standards on what a lot of gardening work is has drastically changed since then! I don’t remember if I planted plants or seeds – probably plants – but I do remember that the next spring, the marigolds had seeded themselves and came back. I thought that was pretty cool since they were annuals. Besides having to water them, that was about all I knew about gardening back then.

And that’s probably why each year, I need to plant at least one six pack of those orange marigolds.

First Day of Spring? Really?!

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I have to say it again… Winter is sticking around WAY too long this year! However, I will not be held back from getting a jump start on my gardening season! Absolutely enjoying my ‘new’ garden shed this year. (Had the shed for years but it was used for something else until now.) With the help of a space heater, I’m able to keep the temperature suitable to grow things even with 2-3 feet of snow on the ground and temperatures outside often dropping below freezing.

Seedling Shelves

Added a 2nd set of shelving for seedlings yesterday and already filling it up. Once things get potted up, I’ll need more room. Hopefully the timing will work out and I can get things out to the greenhouse before I run out of room.

Planted up two hanging baskets of Black Eyed Susan Vines. Threw in some Nasturtium seeds too. The basket on the left is doing great but the one on the right is struggling. Hopefully it recovers soon. Also potted up some Dahlias, Lillies and Siberian Iris’ that I couldn’t resist buying early.

False Indigo & Lupines

Potted up some Lupines (Sunrise) and False Indigo today.

Indoor Seedlings

Also have several trays growing under lights in my bedroom! Could move them out to shed now but sure I’ll need the extra space soon so might as well keep the lights up a little longer.

However, I do have a couple blooms on my Christmas cactus inside. Poor thing had been sitting in the plastic black pot from the store for 3 years and I finally put it in a real pot last month. So at least it appears happy now. 🙂

Fairy Garden – March 2013

This is the only part of my ‘garden’ I can even see. Hopefully the fairies are doing okay.

Everything else is covered in at least a foot of snow. And with highs below freezing most of the days in the 10 day forecast, there will be no big meltdown any time soon.

Garden Pond – March 2013

On a positive note, I saw three of my fish swimming yesterday! So the heaters (one floating and one submersed) have worked another year.

Garden Shed – March 2013

One place where there is a LOT of growth is in my sweet little garden shed. Many little baby plants are getting their jumpstart on our short growing season. They really help the time pass while I wait for spring! Hoping and dreaming.

Garden Shed – March 2013

To see some actual blooms this Bloom Day, check out the Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day host Carol’s blog at May Dreams Gardens. And next month, I WILL have some blooms to share. Can’t wait!!

In July 19th, 2011, my mom, two daughters and I went to visit the Duluth Rose Garden in Duluth, MN. It was an absolutely beautiful day and the roses were gorgeous. We definitely need to go back again this summer! And several times each year would be even better so we can see the various changes throughout the spring and summer (like how on this visit we were too late for the peony garden). On this page are some of my favorite pictures from the day. Make sure to click on the pictures to see the full size. My only regret is that I didn’t keep better track of the names of the roses but guess that’s just another excuse to go back!

The Duluth Rose Garden (an extension of Lief Erikson Park) is on the shore of Lake Superior on London Road in Duluth. It’s a wonderful park with many different flowers. Over 3,000 rose bushes but also other perennials including a huge selection of peonies. There are many benches to take a break on and view the flowers and view Lake Superior. There are also walking trails that lead down to the Duluth Lakewalk for an even closer view of the lake. My girls enjoyed climbing on the rocks and getting their feet wet on this summer day.

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden – Hot Cocoa

Duluth Rose Garden – Hot Cocoa

Duluth Rose Garden – Hot Cocoa

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden – Hot Cocoa

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden – Julia Child

Duluth Rose Garden – Julia Child

Duluth Rose Garden – Julia Child

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden – Polar Star

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden – Old Ships

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden – Chicago Peace

Duluth Rose Garden – Chicago Peace

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden

Duluth Rose Garden – Cherry Parfait

Duluth Rose Garden – Cherry Parfait

Duluth Rose Garden – Cinco De Mayo

Duluth Rose Garden

Later that day, we visited Enger Tower & Gardens in Duluth. Another great place to visit!